AZTECS ASSISTANT BLAND TO INTERVIEW FOR JOB WITH USC

ATLANTA 
There is the recruitment of potential San Diego State basketball players. Now there’s the recruitment of the lead recruiter.

SDSU assistant Tony Bland will interview with USC for a spot on Andy Enfield’s coaching staff, according to sources from San Diego and Los Angeles.

This comes after Bland, the sources said, turned down advances from UCLA and Steve Alford earlier in the week. Alford reportedly has since filled his staff.

Bland, who is in Atlanta for the Final Four, declined comment other than to refute reports that he had already accepted the job. “Not true,” he said via text.

Asked about the prospect of Pac-12 schools courting his lead recruiter, Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said: “I’m hoping that Tony is with us next year. But this is a profession, like any. If you feel there is a lot more money you can find somewhere else, and you think happiness and success can come with it, then you have to look.”

Bland currently makes $120,000 per year at SDSU, which is about half what most Pac-12 schools — flush with $20 million annually in football TV money — pay their assistants.

The Aztecs alum replaced Justin Hutson, who left two years ago for UNLV and a spot as Dave Rice’s associate head coach along with a bump in salary. Bland has been the primary contact with many of the Aztecs’ recruits since, including five-star prospect Winston Shepard, although SDSU generally recruits as a “staff” and will send different coaches to evaluate the same player.

USC might not be the only suitor for Bland. Arizona assistant James Whitford was hired by Ball State on Saturday, opening a spot on Sean Miller’s staff in Tucson. Arizona State assistant Dedrique Taylor left to become head coach at Fullerton, but Herb Sendek quickly filled the position with Stan Johnson from Drake.

SDSU recently announced 29- to 54-percent increases in season-ticket prices at Viejas Arena in an effort, according to a letter sent to fans, “to fund the department at championship levels.” It is unclear whether that revenue will be used to raise coaching salaries on a level competitive with Pac-12 schools.